Which system to go for?

Mach III

Mach III

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Hi, I'm building a pc, and I have 2 offers that I can readily grab.

The i7 3770 (non-k) + G43 mobo = R4000

Or the I5 3570k + MSI big Bang Z77 OC edition = R4000.

Which one do you guys rate?

I will be using a 7950.

Also what power supply would you recommend for these key ingredients?
 
Depends on whether you're going to OC. With OC, the 3570k will yield better value imo.
 
3770

i7 will serve you in the long run.

For juice get a 650W gaming PSU.
 
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Which G43 motherboard is that? Is it the MSI Z77A-G43?

As for the power supply...

XFX Pro Series 550w @ R749

All the PSU you'll ever need in a single-GPU system in the high-end market. Except if you want something modular, though that'll cost you a little bit more.
 
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Unless you have no PC at all, I would wait for Haswell.
 
It will be years before haswell is cheap.

3570k with OC ability will match or beat the 3770 for gaming.

600w power supply would be plenty in my opinion. I have the 3570k with a gtx670, 2 HDD, 1 DVD, 7 chassis fans and it is working fine on an ancient 610w rated PSU (720w max)
 
bromster said:
It will be years before haswell is cheap.
Click to expand...

Haswell replaces Ivy at the same price point. At launch, you'll probably pay around R250 more for a board and chip combo. In less than three months I predict Ivy stock will be almost gone and Haswell pricing will have dropped a little to compensate.

According to the internet, there'll be Haswell notebooks available from day 1 in the US, Europe and Asia.
 
I am certain that will be the case in the USA, but by the time SA retailers get their grubby hands on them, I wouldn't be surprised if they slap on another few hundred bucks.

But sure, if time is on your side and you think the performance gain is worth the wait, then wait.
 
Well I would wait for Haswell, but I've never had a decent PC before. So I plan on making a good gaming system. I see that the amd phenom 2 x4 is still playing the latest games no problem. I think with the i7 3770 I'll have speed that I've never seen before.

Anyway, can you guys help me with a PSU to buy? Nag Wesley recommended the xfx 550w, but I'm thinking in the near future if I want to crossfire with another 7950 will it still be enough?

What are other options around that price? Efficiency is what I'm looking for.
 
If you plan to XFire, just get a decent brand PSU which has at least 2x 6+2 pin cables. I would say that the XFX is perfect for your current need and could run both GPUs in XFire, but might struggle later in its life when it becomes less efficient depending on what other stuff you have in your PC.

Peak Power Consumption for 2x7950 in XFire: About 300W / 12v = 25A for both GPUs. The XFX is rated for 44A on the 12V rail.

You gotta think big picture / long term. Rather spend an extra R300-400 and get a power supply which won't need to work as hard over it's lifespan. It will also have all the cables you need for XFire and it will probably be modular which helps to keep you case looking tidy and promote good airflow. This might lengthen the life of your other components in the long term.
 
Mach III said:
Anyway, can you guys help me with a PSU to buy? Nag Wesley recommended the xfx 550w, but I'm thinking in the near future if I want to crossfire with another 7950 will it still be enough?
Click to expand...

Ah, you want the Crossfire option. Well, in that case...

Be Quiet! Pure Power CM730W @ R1014

One could get away with a cheaper power supply, but I've got no idea if you'll be overclocking or not. The 730W PSU is recommended for headroom should you choose to OC your cards and CPU.
 
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